


A War That Won't Be Won In The Battlefield

by queenofthereach



Series: The Hundred Year War Series [1]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, So Nyuh Shi Dae | Girls' Generation, Super Junior
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-02-20 19:06:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2439551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofthereach/pseuds/queenofthereach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A social gathering turns into a painful, unexpected funeral that puts an end to a millennium long peace pact signed among the aristocratic families. A political battle within the nation’s nobility broils shortly after the extinction of the main line of the royal family and all of the late King’s female lineal descendants and relatives all duel to win the most desirable seat and position in the whole peninsula, the throne. One’s greatest ambition turns into their most horrifying nightmare as family turns against family and bloodshed turns nationwide as allies turn into traitors and one’s friend may turn into a foe within the blink of an eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. part i. chapter i.

              The moonlit rivers shines upon them in such delicate grace, the swallowing silence fills the crisp darkness and the spirits of the dead dance under the moon in the absence of living men out in the wild. Tales have been told for centuries that the souls of those who have passed away flourish upon the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, and that the moment the sun returns for its time to shine- the dead immediately rushes to their fortresses by their tombs and watch over their loved ones from above.

Would it still be that satisfying to see the senselessly disturbing tranquility and serenity in the night when it was told from children to the elderly and from the richest of the nobility to the most unfortunate of the lower class that those who have lost their lives to war will never forgive and never forget?

Gentle waves prance on the fluid, silky sea water that reflects peacefully upon the moonlight’s blinding rays, reflecting against a translucent, glass pendant that swung around over the surface of the water as if it was waiting to catch the glare of the moon to gain some special power.

 

            “My Lady, you would not like to dip that necklace into the water. It is a gift from the Ming Emperor himself and would not be glad onto seeing it floating around in the oceans.” Lady Jeorin fiercely scolded the young lady who lazily reached out towards the stream of water that seemingly calmed down by the time she had been looking down very precisely.

 

Yoona shook her head and looked up innocently, snatching the necklace away quickly onto her pocket as if she had been accused of a crime that she had not done. “Lady Jeorin, The King himself only gave this as a token of our loyalty even if we were of foreign origin, not that he would take me as his woman or any of that sort.” She proudly responded. Her words coming out that were full of skepticism and doubt.

            The wood on the floating boat’s base shook slightly as a young man of great presence and charm walked in even if he was only a few years than Yoona herself. Dressed simply and formally with his sword that he had always tucked in his belt, Park Yoochun had entered in with a grim expression that had emphasized his stern features and uptight personality.

“Yoona-ah, you should not speak lightly of the King and his gallivants in romance even if we are on the way home. You may never know that maybe some of his spies still remain in our ships. ” He rebuked seriously without remorse, as expected of the first born male child of a noble family that had connections that spanned continents and had the pressure of the entire clan upon him.

 

She stared at him with squinting eyes in suspicion, offended with the conception he made against her. “Are you calling me somewhat a whore of the king? Blasphemous, even if he took me as his mistress during our times of living in his kingdom: I would refuse and who says he would keep me.. ” Yoona walks over towards him, the jewel amethyst of her headdress, looking even more majestic in its bright, purple color as she spit her words sharply and in a piercing tone.

 

Yoochun frowns concernedly at her and raises his head high up as if to keep his pride to himself. “I am only warning you that speaking so carelessly like that would put you in trouble and be the end of you, sister. I am only repeating what Father had told us over and over once again.” His voice turns harsh yet quiet against the clacking sounds of boatmen turning over the ship, a whisper only heard between the two of them.

 

            She clenched her fist as the fear and anxiety she feels inside of her increases with the warning her brother had given her. She straightens up her back to appear more responsible and mature than how her fifteen year old self looked like and an uneasy expression remains permanent on her face for the rest of the boat trip.

It was true that among the remaining noble families, theirs was still considered as one of the most conservative and old-fashioned based on their beliefs. A copy of the Samguk Sagi that had been written during the period of the Kingdom of Silla was still read and passed down generation upon generation as to the study of what had made their history as a family so rich and cultured that it should be valued even up to today. As part of reading that book, the beliefs, the folk tales, the stories and the manners of speech had influenced the family greatly, even up to this very day, it seemed as if their everyday lives had still been integrated as heavily relied on the practices of their ancestors.

 

            The most famous tale Yoona remembered word by word however was the story of how the moon goddess fell in love with the sun god and after their forbidden romance caused them to be shunned and exiled in the heavens, it was believed that they both settled quietly here on earth to raise a family and therefore their children become the rulers of the Kingdom of Silla and their bloodline runs strong in the Park family.

 

Through the long and dragging of events from the past, they have lost their claim to the throne and no longer lead themselves as the pioneers and as kings and queens of the kingdom, but have been restored as prominent lords and ladies who have reserved spots for themselves in the royal court, with their connections going beyond the border as their father, Park Junho, had been assigned as the Foreign Ambassador to the Qing Dynasty and had only recently been on a boat back home from the great empire.

 

            “I have seen land, My Lord! Probably only 5 hours away from here.” Their father’s warden, Hwang Inhyun, called out contentedly as he peeked through a rusting bronze telescope from the ship’s top deck. An old and nearly bald man with wisps of black and gray hair scattered throughout his hairline stood behind him and eyed meticulously the land he had not seen for nearly a decade and a feeling of nostalgia grew stronger and stronger as they grew closer to their homeland.

 

Ten years ago approximately, the King had sent their family into a voyage and to live within the Qing Dynasty while Park Junho had served as the Joseon Dynasty Ambassador to that foreign nation and the Park’s had lived there since then. Now that his term is finally over and the election season for another ambassador has come, they are now riding a ship back to the city capital and to report to the King.

 

It had been still clear in their minds - The busy and crowded streets of the golden palace that had been filled with hundreds and thousands of servants and the gossip and the rumors that flew from one’s mouth to another within a fortnight who could ruin one’s reputation before the sun sets.

 

Valuable pieces of art hung up against the red colored tapestries and sculptures and embroideries of formidable quality were found all over the Forbidden Palace and to leave the predicament and return to their quiet lives in Joseon was something especially the children would have to get used to.

 

It had been a difficult decision at first to leave the prosperous and settled lifestyle they had become accustomed to in the great dynasty, but after an official letter of request from the King that had commanded them to return back to their homeland as soon as his term as foreign ambassador had finished; he had no choice but to pack up all their belongings and take the nearest ship back to within the Joseon peninsula.

 

            “Good, we must start preparing to dock off and find a carriage to bring us to the family manor up in the north from the capital.” The former ambassador sighed tiredly, cold mist coming out of his breath and his thick, unshaven beard looking even grayer into the darkness of the night and made him look a lot older than his years.

            “A carriage has already been prepared for you, My Lord.” Hwang Miyoung, their warden’s youngest daughter and Yoona’s main handmaiden, stepped out in her feminine and shy graces and bowed politely as she stood next to her cousin. “Thank you, Lady Miyoung.” Lord Junho gave a brief yet kind smile at his warden’s daughter, who responded with a timid courtesy and quietly walked over to speak to her father.

Slowly, the sun had begun to rise as the stars had faded behind the white clouds and the overcast of the sky disappeared with the sun rays shining upon them. The darkness vanished from Yoona’s sight of view as she slept tranquilly on the soft, silk bed that they had brought with them all the way from the Qing Dynasty.

...

 

Her eyes opened upon the warmth of the sunlight filtered from their windows, the night is over and the day has arrived for everyone to be awoken. She sat up in her bed, blankets still warmly wrapped around her waist area and below still trying to recollect her senses after a long time of sleep and rubbed her arms repeatedly to clear her eyesight from the foggy clouds that block her from seeing clearly.

 

            It took her a few minutes to fully be awoken, the conversation she had with her brother being the first thing that repeated over and over in her head as it struck her personally. Were my intentions of wanting to be Queen that obvious? She asked herself personally, gasping to herself in fear and the tip of her fingers on her peach painted lips.

 

 She remained inside her cabin mostly after she had awoken, muttering past stories her grandmother had told her over and over again as a young child and the future she had been promised to have. It was a well-known truth within their family that her maternal grandmother had been a seer and had the fortunate talent of being able to look into the future within her own reach.

 

A memory clear about her grandmother was her gray, clogged eyes that seemed lifeless and showed no emotion that was unique to most people because she could not see anything but could only feel and recognize things by how they sounded without seeing things in person. Yoona would giggle every time her grandmother would fondle her rough and callused palms against her smooth cheeks and would tell her about what she saw in her dreams of what she’d become in the future.

 

            If she ever told anyone, whatever her grandmother had promised her over and over as a child, her wet nurse and servants would just coyly laugh and thinks she would be dreaming like some peasant child who lived by the empty temples who were only living in by the monks and those who took shelter in the holy place.

Her meditation of thought as she looked at the clear blue sky and the drifting clouds that was broken as Miyoung entered with a pile of neatly folded linen tucked in between her arms, graciously bowing her head and hurriedly looked at her warden’s daughter.

 

            “My Lady, I am glad that you have awoken. I assume you have gotten good sleep over the past few hours?” Her handmaiden cheerfully grinned at her newly awoken cousin, sitting at the corner of her bedding as she set aside the linen next to her.

 

Yoona bluntly shook her head with a clearly upset frown and stood up from the ground in which she had been sleeping on. A piercing thrill of pain throbbed in her head and her footsteps shaky and unsupported as she trembled on her own feet.

 

Minyoung held on her before she would crash right onto the ground and would feel any more ill with her blurring eyesight and inattentive senses. “Are you alright, My Lady or would you like some medicine or should you just rest until we dock by the coast?” She softly asked with wide eyes as she was afraid something was happening to her.

 

            “I’ll be taking a walk around the dock if you wouldn’t mind, Lady Minyoung. I would please like some lemon tea by the time I’d be back in my chambers, with extra honey, of course.” She ran over towards the metal door, pulling up her skirt as she went to venture off to see the promising view they currently saw while aboard in the ship.

….

 

The waves crashed gallantly against the striding pull of the ship that went against the current of the sea. The wind flew strongly as the cold, misty air caused some of the crew of the ship shiver in their sleep and have their fingers tremble while they held onto the breaking rope.

Even as a child, Yoona had felt like she had a connection with the sea, like she belonged to those who lived far away from the shallow waters and lived their lives in the marvel that the sea truly was. It may have also been the stories her grandmother had told her that made her so fond of the sea and how it felt like a second home for her if only she wasn’t human.

 

            Generation upon generation, folk tales of the swimming mermaids that patrolled around the sea from sunrise to sunset had never left the mouth and ears of the common folk but had rarely reached the attention of nobles and their stewards.

            A beautiful mermaid named Shira was rumored to have swam across one side of the peninsula to another, from early in the morning until the dawn of the night, the beauty and allure of her voice heard by those who had reached the moment of death in their lives and were to be delivered to rest in the afterlife. Singing the sweet tune of her melodious song, she watched as their pulses stopped, their flesh rotted and swam them down into the water as she laid them to rest.

Her beauty had been so great in a range that mermen from coast to coast from different seas and oceans would swim all the way to ask for the siren’s hand in marriage, only to be whacked in the face by her winged tale as she swam away furiously in refusal.

 

She had continued living her life as half a man and half a mermaid by the shore of the sea in which they had been drifting at this very moment- that it until she heard from a couple of talkative handmaidens in the palace about who her father really was and she went all the way where they said he was found.. Her father was an impoverish and meager yet simple living fisherman who lived by the shore who had a shiny, bald head and a thin, growing mustache that hid a large scar found beneath his rough edged jaw line and often had a timid smile and a joyous laugh as he taught several small children the art of fishery.

 

            It confused her; she had never heard anything from her mother who her father had been and whenever Shira would have been too impatient to take “No” as an answer, she would have replied with a dishonest reply that her father was some merman warrior she had fallen in love as a young woman before his tragic death. But up to this very moment, she had realized those stories she told about her brave and chivalrous father who fought battles against sea monsters were all lies, as her father was a human.

 

Shira bolted away furiously, going against the violent waves and swam far, far away from the route she had usually taken back to her modest shell she had lived not too deep down in the sea. She swam upwards towards the swamps, oily and greasy green seaweed and wet mud had filed that area and she didn’t know anywhere else to go but there.

 

By the stone cave she saw a wounded man unconscious lying on the cold ground, his eyes closed and his breathing steady as he peacefully rested still with his robes soaking wet and the slick blood on his coat still fresh. Out of curiosity, she approached him with a cautious attitude, backing away for at least a few meters before he would even catch a glance of her through the corner of his eye.

 

Strangely, Shira found herself swimming all the way to that mysterious place nearly every time before sunset and by coincidence, the injured man had been there every time she appeared. For the first times he had consciously seen her, he was shocked and backed away in fear with wide eyes as he had never seen a mermaid so up close and intimate with him as he did.

Eventually, he had warmed up to her and had started to ask simple questions and gave short smiles at her. “What is your name, beautiful mermaid?” He asks.

She backs away, swaying her tail as she hides behind a smooth boulder of a rock, her eyes peeking through the corner. “My name is Shira and what are you supposed to be doing here?”

“I am here to explore and see up close the world that many of my kind never see. How about you?” He crouched down until he was able to be face to face to the young mermaid, whose eyes drifted away and diverted all around him as she avoided his gaze.

 

On the stormy night her grandmother had told Yoona the story, she chirped in such a hopeful tone and sat there hugging her hand sewn straw doll close to her chest. “Do they fall in love, Grandmother? Isn’t that like what happens in every one of the stories my wet nurse tells me? ” Her eyes shimmered like gold and her hands clasped tightly together in suspense.

Her grandmother bitterly laughed, the few yellow teeth, she had left in her swollen and empty gums clearly seen. “My sweet grandchild, not all the tales your silly wet nurse or even your mother tells you all end with happy endings. Nearly a hundred years ago, all of my brothers were washed out before winter had begun during the war and I had never seen them since then. Listen carefully to me as I speak of what happens in the end.”

She holds in her tears as they clog her eyes like rough, hard-edged daggers stuck in her irises as she vigorously rubbed them off with her gold trimmed sleeves. “Can you tell me the rest of the story until the end, Grandmother? Please grandmother and it is still too early from my bed time?!” Yoona attempts to still sound interested and excited for what happens to the story, even if deep inside she is afraid of how it truly ends as foreshadowed by her grandmother.

 

            “Alright, alright- Just for tonight, darling. Hmm- So where was I? Oh yes, I was – I was at the part where Shira had met that human. So, after that – “ Her grandmother had kept going on with the story up to the very end, even if her eyes turned into half-crescents and she grew more tired as the story went on.

Shira had continued to visit that empty and hollow cave every time since, hoping that he would be there every time to tell her about how the life of a human truly is and how her life could have been if she had not been a mermaid but a human. A tinge of dismay and alarm had erupted in her heart as she had not seen any sights of him in the cave, but only the strips of his bandages and broken pieces of his quills torn apart on the ground.

She went everywhere she could to find him; going east, west, north or south just to find him and it drove her crazy to not see him in her sight. It seemed like she was ready to give up, until one of the kingdom’s religious ministers had approached her and warned her that her fling with that human would be her downfall and that now that the whole kingdom had known of her human ancestry, she was more in danger than she ever was.

 

In panic, she trembled and screamed about how she would be able to get out of this and eventually turn into a human. The minister shook her head and grimly told her that it was too late and the only possible way she could have done to free herself was to kill the human. The human man she had fallen in love with.

Shira couldn’t bring herself to do it, as she had wanted to run away, become human and live peacefully in a small cottage with him, but she had thought she would rather die than live without him. Though the demands of the Queen had warned her that if she did not kill the human the Queen would kill him herself and Shira couldn’t refuse but to agree to kill him herself instead.

 

She killed him on one stormy night when the thunder roared and the tide of the sky was high as the sun and he had been so glad to see her after such a long time. Shira deceived him into believing that now she had given him the ability to breathe underwater and that he could even become a mermaid.

 

The delusional fool he was, like any man in love, believed and jumped enthusiastically into the water, before Shira pulled him into one last kiss and pulled out the sharp dagger in her pocket and stabbed it right through his heart. She killed herself and followed him shortly after.

 

Yoona scratched her fingernails against the core of her scalp, shaking her head furiously in refusal of how those stories had taken over her life so far. “No - You are the youngest daughter of the Noble Family of the Parks and the blood of the Kingdom of Silla flows in you. “ She repeated to herself, mumbling softly as her head throbbed in pain of the fairy tale that had turned into her greatest nightmare.

A gentle tap on the shoulder by long, slim fingers had given her a shock for a few milliseconds, before sighing in relief to see her brother worriedly looking over her. “Are you alright, little sister?” He asked, gentler than how he spoke to her the night before.

 

She smiled up to him, adjusting the hairpiece on the peak of her forehead that had twisted over towards the left side of her ear. “ I am alright, brother. There is nothing to be concerned about as of now. How was your sleep then?” Yoona diverted the topic on purpose.

 

It was his turn to give a kind and loving grin at her, a gesture she had not seen from him in a while since they had left for the capital in Qing. “I’ve rested well, sister. The lemon tea Lady Jeorin made this morning has been wonderful.” He spoke lightheartedly, even though she could still see the tiredness and discomfort through the filters of his eyes.

Yoochun was only two years older than her, being sixteen years of age, while she was at the tender age of fourteen, but physically they seemed a lot more different to one another. He was tall and slimly built like she was, though he had a bit of muscle by his arms while she was just bone and marrow, with such thin arms it seemed like she had sticks sewn right onto her.

 

He had high, prominent cheekbones, thick eyelashes and plump limps just like her own, features they have mostly inherited from their mother and both had looked more like her. Though in terms of personality, he had a rather philosophical and logical view of things after years of Confucianism under the supervision of monks and scholars of the Qing Dynasty. She on the contrary, had a very mythical and fabricated belief and sight of things, which is probably as a result of all the gossiping and the practices of discretion she had learned in the Qing court alongside the court ladies.

 

            She had always looked up to her brother, being the calm and collected man he was who would always plan beforehand of what he would do before making an action. A main problem her father had always told her was that she was an uncommon type of woman even in Qing – she was headstrong, fiery, and stubborn which caused her to possibly do everything before thinking about it.

 

“It’s sometimes great to be home again isn’t it?” He laughed lightly, crossing his arms and resting his head as they looked out onto the sea. _We haven’t seen mother in years_ , she wanted to say.

 

“It is. We haven’t been in the manor for years, but I’m sure uncle has been watching over it after grandfather passed away.” She nodded with a timid frown, nervously hiding her sweaty palms behind her back as they quietly continued to look out onto the ocean.

            Coming home after more than a decade may have changed so many things, _so many_.


	2. part i. chapter ii.

 ....

Of the 100 families that had taken power and rose in favoritism by the late King, only a dozen approximately still exists to this very day and only a few have remained in their old status of wealth and prosperity. Sitting warmly in their silk and portrait filled rooms with their Byzantine carpets and the porcelain tea cups and saucers they had imported from the center of Edo.

The families had either split their allegiances towards the King and his allies, while the chosen few chose to support their common people and rebel for a new King and a new kingdom without the control of the corrupted and malice royal family that had a tight grip for nearly a thousand years – it was those who chose to side with the people who remained alive today.

Many of them had made truces and formed alliances with one of the other few remaining families, securing a pact to make sure they would be by each other’s side if ever war breaks out and the nation crumbles apart. The Jung clan of the Eastern Provinces and the Kim clan of the North Western Provinces have been united in kinship and have been in an alliance for more than a hundred years, celebrating the millennium of their pact on this very day.

            Hundreds of servants and cooks have gathered in the massive villa of the Sunset Pavilion that was located on the high hill a few kilometers away from the Kim Clan’s manor house. Colorful red banners, golden colored and embroidered table clothes spread across the chestnut wooden tables and plates and cups of the finest china and chopsticks cut from refined metal that were mined from great mountains millions of miles away.

Bells chimed as the wind blew forcefully against them and horses’ hooves were heard clacking loudly against the muddy grounds. The common folk chattered and whispered discreetly as an elegantly decorated blue colored carriage appeared right in front of the pavilion’s main entrance. 

            “Make way for Lord and Lady Jung!” The Head Guardsman halted all the ongoing commotion surrounding the outside of the pavilion and his fellow guardsmen all stood straightly as they assist the nobles who have arrived in an extravagant and grandiose manner. With their banner men and tradesmen following closely behind them, hundreds of their men have accompanied them towards their travel towards the North Western Provinces.

The wooden door slid open and a well-dressed and feminine young woman came out gracefully as she stepped out of the gold embellished palanquin, as she gripped on her handmaiden gently to make sure she would come out safely.

A sapphire gemstone on her hairpiece reflected against the shining sun as she smiled graciously at the common people who stopped in their steps as she looked at them. Her purple colored blouse shirt had the seal of their family embroidered on it with such detail and the quality of her silk, cerulean skirt shone against the shining sun.

            “Lady Sooyeon, the Kim clan are waiting inside the pavilion.” Her handmaiden who was named Ara bowed repeatedly and stood prettily next to the noble lady, though looking deficient and dull next to her nicely dressed superior.

Though it seemed like her attention was drifting towards something else, instead Sooyeon kept her eyes fixed on a family of beggars who had lived by the orphanage near the pavilion, dressed in ragged clothes and choked in sickness and hunger.

Sooyeon lifted the hem of her skirt and ran towards them, to the panic of her older brother Yunho who had just dismounted himself off his beloved horse who was named Yellowthunder. “Sooyeon-ah!” He called out hurriedly, running over to her at the quickest pace he could but it seemed like he was too late.

“My Lady, it is the most thankful you have come here to visit us.” An old and gaunt woman smiled tiredly as she looked up at the noble lady who had approached them. She coughed endlessly as a spit of green, gangly saliva flew out of her mouth and she grabbed her falling out, grey wool cloth to embrace her frail body.

            “If you only have a few cents to spare, My Lady – Please help us poor folk.” The old woman’s grandchild, a tiny child with skinny, delicate arms and was deliberately underfed and anorexic begged endlessly as she bowed towards the young lady and as tears fell from the child’s eyes.

The wails and pleas of the fellow common people who had taken shelter by the slums and by the corners of the streets had been heard and Sooyeon frowned in sympathy in which she had felt bad in the condition in which they had to suffer. “Please help us, My Lady!” “My Lady, My Lady! The less fortunate need your help!”

“Excuse me little one, but please do not treat my sister in that manner.” Their constant complaints were interrupted by the appearance of Jung Yunho, the young lady’s older brother who was the new heir and lord to the Jung family name and inheritance after their father had willingly given it to him to spend the rest of his life serving the King in the capital city. He wore a dark navy colored hanbok that was made from the best material and had complemented the color scheme his sister had worn for the event.

 He smiled sweetly and circled an arm around his sister’s shoulder, though he spoke in a venomous and icy tone that sent a wave of fear and threat down their broken spines as soon as his smile faded out into a frown.  “I am so sorry, Lord Jung!” The elderly woman and her grandchild bowed in repentance repeatedly, over and over again as their bodies touched the cold, pavement ground.

Sooyeon hesitated as her brother reprimanded the common people who were now sorrowful and ashamed of what they have done. “No, brother – It is all right. They have not disturbed me, I approached them and they have asked for assistance. The people have served us well and it is our turn to finally give back to them.” She tenderly took out a few coins from her pocket and placed a copper coin into each of their mud ridden palms, in which they gratefully accepted.

Yunho eyed at her in great surprise, not expecting she would generously give alms to every single one of the common folk who had begged from her. She grinned charmingly at him as they walked away and she held on firmly onto the arm he had politely offered for her to hold on.

            “Sister, I knew grandmother told you to be generous, but not that generous?” They paused after he had asked her with a baffling expression. “We have to make good impressions to the less fortunate, in case we would need their assistance later on.” Sooyeon whispered cautiously into his ear, making sure none of them would hear anything she had said.

He knew what she meant. It was the common people who had served the royal and noble families into fighting their battles for them and basically fought through the cold winters, swarms of pilling bodies and bloodshed fields of metal and tears whenever that time would come. Their grandmother had always been the true weapon behind all those years in which they had enjoyed prosperity and wealth, just as she had carefully advised both Sooyeon and him to be very careful of every move they made.

            After a hundred years of the founding of a new government under another branch of the royal family, the kingdom has still been in a fragile and weak state, even after the implementation of new powers and the tightening of the customs and the laws of the kingdom to keep things all secured and together. Yunho knew that no matter how unshakable and robust the kingdom may look like to others, it would crumble into ashes if conflict sparked within the higher officials and the path to the throne would be left empty again.

“You shouldn’t have even reprimanded them that seriously and demandingly as well, brother. The common people do look up to you as a knight and a chivalrous man who was the greatest warrior with the sword in the kingdom other than the King’s guards themselves.” She uttered to break the awkward silence between the two of them, decreasing her volume as they entered through the pavilion’s gates and went past the heavily alert and vigilant guards that eyed them curiously.

“They may see me as a good and righteous man and I try to fulfill that image for our family name but I will not tolerate them treating you like some bank who gives them whatever they want.” He responded defensively, stopping right in front of the pavilion’s main entrance and looked at her sincerely. “Good and righteous – Yeah right.” She rolled her eyes at him as she continued to walk up the wooden stairs of the main entrance.

He glanced at her from afar for a few seconds, understanding what her expression was trying to tell him and nodded in a disgruntled fashion, as she laughed in victory as it seemed as if she had won the argument between the two of them again. “I’m not even going to try to keep up with this argument, sister.” He grunted softly.

Red and gold streamers etched with messages of good luck and encouragement have flown up high from the wooden posts that stood high and kept the roof erect and supported. Court ladies and slaves bowed respectfully at the high born nobles that had just passed through them.

Porcelain and ceramic plates were heard gently clattering against each other as they were placed on top of golden silk tablecloths and were put aside delicately painted teacups and kettles. Two court ladies curtsied at the two nobles and smiled politely as they spoke.

            “Welcome, Lord and Lady Jung. Lord Kim Heechul and Lord Kim Jaejoong have been waiting by the West Wing of the pavilion.” A petite and slim young lady with clear eyes and a high forehead, who went by the title of Lady Jini elevated her hand towards the western direction in which she had pointed to.

Yunho looked at his sister and grinned in response, giving off a charm that swooned most of the court ladies. “Thank you, Lady Jini. Your services to the Kim clan have been faithful and as their allies, we are most thankful.” He spoke in a careful and flirtatious tone, winking as his sister and her handmaidens have started to walk towards the western end of the pavilion.

The halls have been draped in commissions and paintings that have histories and origins that trace back to a hundred years, the names and the fading out images of their ancestors paved out proudly alongside some of the families’ priceless artworks in which they had carefully kept an eye on.

The Kim clan and the Jung clan have both never left their presence in the political court and scene in not only the capital but in also in the provinces in which they had an utmost control over. Lord Heechul is currently serving a term in the Ministry of Taxation in the capital, closely watching over the money that had entered and left the palace’s finances as a senior second ranked official.

Loud sounds of chatter and murmur bounced from the walls and were heard even from the halls, the roaring laughter and drunken slurs echoing loud enough even for a nearly-deaf man to hear. Wooden doors slid open and two guardsmen stood by the doors, immediately recognizing the familiar guests and bowed politely to them.

Among the crowded hordes of people that had gathered in a cramped circle that were busy spilling the gossip with one another and talking about the rumors that reached them immediately, it was Kim Jaejoong and Kim Heechul who they both noticed immediately before getting lost between the faces.

            “Ah, Lady Sooyeon and Lord Yunho – I am glad all of you were able to make it. Why don’t some of you have some soju and loosen up for now?” Heechul, who was currently flirting with some of the courtesans and concubines who had accompanied their guests, excused himself and lunged himself forward out of the crowd to speak to two of his greatest friends and allies.

Yunho bowed his head with a cheeky smile and Sooyeon curtsied gracefully in a manner that seemed overused and repeatedly in a way that it seemed as if they had been doing that routine their entire lives, even as little children who could barely speak or stand.

Coming from the other hall, Lord Heechul’s younger brother, Lord Jaejoong entered quietly into the scene and was greeted immediately by their most honored visitors for the night. In pearl red, he clearly stood out from the crowd and had the aura of a true lord.

“Thank you for coming today, Lord and Lady Jung. We have prepared the best tea imported from the Kingdom of Nippon and we have some delicacies, and snacks as well from all over the world. Take a seat if any of you don’t mind and the tea will be coming in no time.” Jaejoong spoke up formally and bowed respectfully at them.

“It is our greatest honor to make our way here and be invited by your family in this milestone event, Lord Kim. We do hope our simple gifts may start the event with a bang.” Sooyeon spoke softly as they were accompanied to the large, oak table and sat on red embroidered pillows imported all the way from Mongolia.

Two court ladies dressed in a rich emerald color came in through the sliding doors and held precious gifts on the porcelain tray they held as they slowly walked in. The one who stood by Sooyeon’s side on the left had a velvet pouch knotted with golden thread and a phoenix hairpin engraved with the finest stones and materials.

On the other hand, the maid who had stood next to Lord Yunho had a long, edged sword that had been so long it had been wider than the width of a man’s broad shoulders and was protected with thick, dark leather that had been marked with the seals of one of the greatest blade smiths in the land.

Both had taken the items from their side and offered them to their family's ally and lay them gently across the wooden table, surrounded by teacups and kettles of great value. The lords of the Kim clan had taken the gift gratefully and had thanked them with sincere gratitude.

“You are spoiling us all, the two of you! We are most thankful and I am sure my wife Boa would love this hairpin you have personally given us.” Lord Heechul laughs boisterously as he reaches forward to the hairpin and the velvet pouch that has been given to their family.

“And the sword is a beautiful thing just to look at. What more if it was used in battle?” Lord Jaejoong took hold of the sword carefully and brought out the blade slowly to admire its shimmer and its sharp edges.

“She is with child again, am I right? From the letters she has been writing my sister, it seems like she has never been as happy as now.” Lord Yunho clears his throat as he casually speaks of the lord’s expecting wife and takes a sip of the tea that has just been poured for him.

Silence fills the air as no one speaks for a few seconds among the four high nobles, as it has been a well-known fact, even among the common people that this has been Lady Boa’s first pregnancy since the tragic incident of a miscarriage had happened nearly a year ago.

            “Oh yes, she has been with child for almost four months on this very day. We have been more careful this time as she had chosen to isolate herself in her chambers upon the start of her third month to ensure that things will go better this time.” Lord Heechul speaks solemnly, just as a bottle of soju has been served on the table and he therefore takes a sip of the alcohol for himself.

            “How about you, Lord Yunho? There have been rumors that you would have been betrothed to one of the many noble ladies in the kingdom.” Lord Jaejoong chirps teasingly and a light chuckle is heard between the two of them.

            “There may have been possibilities, but our family has not made any proper negotiations with any other noble family on who I’d marry and on the dowry. Though, my sister, Lady Sooyeon would be betrothed Lord Changmin of the Shim Clan in the next few months.” Lord Yunho shook his head tiredly as he glances at his sister.

Sooyeon frowns secretly to herself, as if she felt that talking about the betrothal in such an early period of time had made her so uncomfortable. She had only met her future husband a few times when the families met to secure the contract and has only found a portion of his nature of a few love letters sent right after the betrothal has been finalized.

As much as the new agreement between the two clans may have benefitted them in the share of wealth and exchange of dowry once she had been married off to that family- she had secretly hoped that maybe her husband would be a good man who would love her and cherish her not only for the money and her title, but for who really was.

            “A betrothal – Why haven’t you told us earlier, Lady Jung? We should have made the event even grander as we have now since a marriage is something we must celebrate and our family is incredibly happy for you and your future husband.” Lord Heechul reacts in complete surprise and congratulates her energetically as he takes out a golden fan with flowers and branches sewn onto them and fans himself with it.

            “We wanted to keep it a surprise of course! We did not want to make the news spread too quickly or problems may arise in the future. I personally want to invite your entire family, which includes your parents and some of your household to the official betrothal ceremony that will be held in a few months.” Lady Sooyeon takes some fresh beef from the food pile and graciously placed them in her mouth once she had finished speaking.

Lord Jaejoong turned his head to his left and looked at his older brother as he asked for his consent and opinion, who then nodded without hesitation and took another shot from his glass of soju.

            “Our entire family will be there for sure, Lady Jung. It would be such a dishonor to foil our century long alliance by not attending a milestone in your family’s history and our history as allies.” The younger Lord of the Kim clan responded firmly as he made a promise on behalf of his family name. He later ordered to one of the court ladies to bring out a ‘certain amount of coins’ as part of the betrothal gift to the Jung family.

            “Now, speak to me about that child Lady Soojung? A darling girl she is just like you, Lady Sooyeon and was only little since I had last seen her as she studied in the capital with your father Lord Jung?” Just as a pile of important files, books and papers had arrived on the desks as sent by the Kim clan’s head eunuch, Heechul had grabbed a bowl of soup for himself and asked casually about the Jung clan’s younger daughter.

The youngest daughter of the Jung clan was named Jung Soojung and had been 3 years apart from Sooyeon and 4 years apart from Jung Yunho. It was a well-known fact among the Jung clan and the Kim clan that by the time she had been born, her two older siblings have already been sent overseas to continue their education and training in politics and society.

She had been sent to the capital at the young age of 7 just like her older siblings had, just in time for when it was their turn to return to their manor and take care of their household in their father’s absence.

Soojung was a pale girl of sickly physique and was of intimidating nature, with a sharp tongue that may have put the Queen Dowager in shame. Though like her brother, she was of tall and lanky stature and has already been the same height as her elder sister though she has not reached her peak height already.

           “I believe the Choi clan has pursued interests in forming a bond of marriage between her and their youngest son. We have not been able to discuss about it with father and with Soojung herself, so there is no secure claim in this agreement whatsoever.” Sooyeon takes another gulp of the tea and requests that the chess board be put in front of them for a game.

            “Now, now – Enough of the family gossip and betrothal gossips; It’s about time we begin to discuss about financial and security matters that have not been touched upon for decades.” Jaejoong coughed sternly as the last pile of letters and books that have gone dusty after being stored forever in the archives have finally been brought in front of them.

A certain dark red book that had been the thickest and seemingly the oldest book in the pile as its paper had been turning brown and dry as its pages, even from afar made it seem as if it would break apart only if you turned a few pages.

Sooyeon reached forward to grasp and take the book in her own hands, the dust flying off in the air as it dropped heavily on the sturdy table. “History of the Hundred Years War” was the name of this mysterious book and all of those who she sat beside looked up as they had realized she had chosen to read a book that no one ever dares to talk about.

She glanced through and browsed through every single page until she had reached somewhat the seventeenth page, with the letters scrambled all over the page that have been smudged and illegible to be comprehended as its words eventually faded out into the paper.

            “Now, we must speak of how to keep our alliance stronger even with the possibilities of … unrest breaking out within the court in the capital or falling out with the king.” She spoke cunningly, her ambition and desire upon advancement thinly seeping out through her glare as she had taken out a soaked brush that has been dropped in ink.

            “Lord Choi in the capital has risen to become a crucial member of the State Council in the past few months, and I believe the recent law on the distribution of the lands among the common people and the nobles has been his doing as well.” Lord Yunho pointed out and presented a letter sent by one of their spies in the capital.

            “The Kwon Clan has always been ahead in their game of snaking their way towards the King’s grasp. There may have been claims that the Crown Prince had planned to take Lady Kwon Yuri as his mistress.” Lord Heechul sighed and sipped on what seemed like his seventh shot of soju, his words becoming sloppy and dragging.

Sooyeon looked at all of them and read their expressions to see what they had been trying to hide from all of them, as she tucked in the loose hair falling behind her ear and readjusted her posture.

            “And how about your father – How is he doing in court?” She asked curiously, glancing at both of the lords in the Kim clan directly through their eyes.

Silence filled the hall and tension built within the four of them as no one had the urge to speak up to such a controversial question at the moment.

            “He had been ousted from his position in the Ministry of Personnel just because of some manipulation happening behind the scenes!” Lord Heechul threw his hat to the ground and screamed angrily and furiously, rudely walking out of the hall as his anger fumed within him.

The Kim clan had always thought they would always have the King in their grasp and that they would always be in favor of him, thought that may not always be the case.

….


	3. part i. chapter iii.

 The warm, evening air causes sweat to form on their dirt ridden skin, as their hands grip tightly on their wooden torches and on their rusty pitchforks, kitchen knives, or any sharp object they may find even with their limited resources.

Their scorched leather and ripped linen barely covered their numbing skin, hands shaking in the shivering motion that went down their spine and breathes unsteady at the choking feeling in their lungs.

Dung. The thundering and heavy sound of the metal drum echoed through the thrilling silence of the night, as the common folk roared angrily and exasperated with it.

            “We have to take the King and the royal family away from power!” They said in unison from the top of their lungs, voices hoarse and sharp in exhaustion and impatience.

At least one man from each common folk families from all villages of the North have gathered on this distant, isolated hill up near the province’s capital today, all silently yet shrewdly preparing their rebellion against the royal family from the capital and even their lords who have been ignoring their pleas for decades.

            A dozen of hundreds of fine horses and donkeys from each land have mounted down at the village down south three kilometres away and most of their valued and most pricey weapons hidden in a caravan where only they know the location to.

Dark, green moss trees hovered over them like giants, flowing in a cold, wintry wave of what seemed like a bitter taste of winter even though it was only in the middle of the fall.

A large, wooden torch was held by this frail, skinny- armed boy who seemed like he would drop the burning flame of fire any moment due to its massive weight, and was handed to what seemed like the general of the rebel army.

Carved on the rim of this ancient, heavy torch were the symbols of the dozens of noble houses that remained alive and existing today, even after the tragic and devastating war that had wiped out nearly the entire aristocratic population in the nation.

Dung. Another heavy hit swayed against the majestic drum, its sound echoing repeatedly even with the silence that filled the freezing forest.

Distant murmurs are easily absorbed by the swallowing pain of the falling snow and the height of towering trees that have stood there for centuries, the peasantry gathering together once again to speak of their fate.

A firm nod was made in unison by all of them, and they take a deep breath as they know their lives will change on this very day and were sure.

“Fire!” The general’s booming voice was lost in the explosive sounds of boisterous and deafening bombs, shots of bullets and torches thrown to some of the most valuable landscapes proudly owned by the nobles.

Revolution would start on that very day, though not many were aware.

….

            The wind blew forcefully as the hooves of the horse galloped loudly against the dusty pavement road, ruby red fabric flying in the air pompously that it brushed violently on the branches of the old, wooden trees.

Yoona’s palms sweated endlessly as she gripped tightly on the reigns of her horse, her fingers turning rough and calloused as scratches and cuts form on her then porcelain skinned hands. 

The bronze ring engraved with a red ruby loosely sliding down her slender fingers and dropped ungracefully on the ground, the horse neighing silently as its hooves stepped on them and had been slightly hurt.

            She took a sharp turn to the left after she had seen a dead end found north by the dark, swampy forest and had continued going on where the light had seemed to keep going.

Even during her time serving as a woman in waiting to the Empress of the Qing Dynasty, Yoona had always been an agile and skilled horse rider as if she had been part horse herself, always being way ahead even of experienced archers who had been riding horses for half their lives.

As a child, Yoona would often race against her older brother Yoochun and even her older sister Minyoung in the middle of the large, wide scoped fields of the Qing Dynasty and would often be the victor of those competitions.

            Minyoung was Yoochun’s twin sister, having been three hours before him and was the older one, though she had somewhat had looked nothing like him. Minyoung was known to both her siblings as sweet, very loyal to rules and her allegiances but had also been fun loving and cheerful at times where she had been allowed to.

By the time the twins reached fifteen years of age, Minyoung was sent off back to Joseon to marry the Lee clan heir, Lee Minho and she had never seen her since then. She vowed she wouldn’t let that same fate happen to her again.

            “Calm, Rahee – There is nothing to worry about.” Yoona hushed her exhausted horse gently as it collapsed suddenly on the ground, its eyes half-closed, half –opened and breathed heavily in an unsteady pace.

            “My Lady, we must call the man at the stables to bring the palanquin here for us to be able to bring you back home in time before night comes. ” Her handmaiden, Miyoung bit her lip nervously at the sight of the weakened horse and abruptly stopped her horse from going further..

The Park clan for decades had always been proud of their hoard of horses, ranging horses of the finest breed and of the best training while they were fed with the best food and went on the fastest speeds whenever they were let free for the ceremonies held in the castle.

Some of their best horses had accompanied them to the Qing Dynasty during their tenure in the vast dynasty, even though only a few of the original mares had been able to return back to their homeland in Joseon.

            Yoona shook her head stubbornly, refusing to stand up and leave the side of her beloved horse. “There is nothing to worry, Miyoung-ah. I could just walk the way back.” She quietly muttered, stroking her dying horse’s mane of raven black hair.

A cold breeze brushed gently in the air as they sat there in silence, seeming like forever as Yoona watched her horse close its eyes and lay there in eternal sleep, forever in a peaceful slumber. She stood up and covered the horse’s dead body with dark red fabric and left it there to decompose slowly.

            “You could just ride on my horse, My Lady. I should be the one walking and not you.” The handmaiden jumped off her horse and offered to hand the reins to her lady.

Yoona hesitated and therefore wanted to decline her offer, but instead thankfully took the horse and complied to ride on it for the rest of the trip.

            “Thank you, Miyoung. I hope you are aware that I am nothing without your assistance.” Yoona thanked her handmaiden in gratitude. Lady Miyoung smiled sincerely and bowed respectfully; appreciating the compliment given to her by the noble woman she had served for her entire life.

Lady Yoona and her entourage continued to ride northwest over the flat plains and rough mountains as they needed to be at the manor before sunset, even as the light blue sky turned medium orange as the sun had started to fade out.

            As they reached the crossing at the end of the vast forest, a hoard of horses and soldiers that held a hundred banners of a purple flag that was engraved with golden dragons. The trail of well armoured and equipped soldiers and knights were led by a man with a majestic, pure white horse, his entire body covered in gold and silver, a large banner of his house proudly held in his hand.

 Even though his entire body was covered in armour, one could already feel the charm and influence he brought by the way he even held on his horse.

Yoona was alarmed and intimidated with the sudden arrival of the mysterious and heavily armed man, as she immediately drew back her horse to turn around and ride her horse back to their manor in time before the army makes any move against them.

            “We heed no harm, My Lady. There is nothing to worry and fret about, as my men and I have no intention to hurt you and your humble entourage.” An insistent yet gentle voice spoke to her, and she heard the metal on his armour rattle as she assumed he had kneeled on the ground for her sake.

            “Oh is there, My Lord? All I ask is that I may be set free and that I may get home before sunset.” She mockingly replied, turning around slightly and tilting her head sidewards.

The armoured man takes off his silver helmet and beneath those layers of cloth and hot-helmed metal was a handsome man of masculine and chiselled features ; Round eyes full of wonder and adventure, a long and high structured nose and thick, pouted lips that gave off irresistible charm to a man of such tall stature and muscular build.

            “Where is my courtesies- Lord Shim Changmin of the Shim Clan of the South, My Lady. “ He bowed his head politely and the topknot of his head was clearly seen, being neatly and tightly tied.

Immediately, Yoona was stunned and attracted to this young man – A man of such grace, such courtesies and manners that may even beat the Jung siblings and a handsome and attracting charm that a woman would never refuse.

            “I am Lady Yoona of the Park Clan of the Northwest, My Lord.” Her cheeks flared red in embarrassment and pressure to introduce herself, suddenly grabbing her white embroidered veil and place it over her head after she had forgotten that women in public places could not be seen without one.

            “I will not try to hold you for too long but I and my bannermen have been hunting from the South for our annual festival in our province, but we have gotten lost. Do you happen to know the way back to the village, My Lady? “The lord got back on his horse and called for his handmaids to bring some food for his starving horse.

            “One of my father’s wardens can help you make your way to the nearest village and inns here within the closest radius. If any problem comes across and our household may help you, be not afraid to inform our warden so that we may assist you in the best way in our ability.” She looks away yet sits on her horse with dignity, showing a sweet, coy smile before she and her handmaiden rode back to their manor.

Lord Changmin quietly watched her ride away towards the direction of the setting sun, looking in awe as he had not seen a woman ride a horse in nearly a decade.

            “I myself never thought I would see a woman ride a horse like my mother again.” Changmin spoke solemnly among his horse riders and they agreed in unison.

….

The silver bars of the towering, wooden door were screeched and pulled open as Yoona galloped her way in their family manor up the hill. She was being followed behind by her handmaiden Miyoung and bodyguards from Qing who hides their identity using the pseudonyms Han and Hun.

Yoona’s father, the lord Park Junho had been patiently waiting out in the family garden with an ancient book in his hand, stood up immediately once he saw his youngest daughter enter the manor premises.

“My dearest daughter, I am glad you had finished riding your horse before sunset. I have some good news to tell you, my dear.” He approaches his daughter and offers a hand of assistance as she gets off the horse, yet she instead declines politely as she jumps ungracefully down on the ground.

“And what is this good news we are talking about, Lord Father? I believe we have not heard anything wonderful since the marriage of Minyoung to that Lee lord.” Yoona giggled girlishly as she was next to her father, bowing to him respectfully and grinning brightly at him.

Lord Junho takes out a letter from his pocket on the left side corner, and unfolded it to be able to be shared with his daughter.

            “Your mother Lady Yubin, and your sister Lady Minyoung will be travelling up north from the southeast from the Lee manor to pay us a visit. I’m sure your sister is well enough to have travelled after recovering from childbirth.” He spoke to her gallantly, as they entered their manor’s main doors that have wooden arches that defined the architecture of the entire ceiling.         

He laughed. “She wanted to keep it as a surprise until she came back home to visit, but unfortunately I spoiled it for her. She’s given birth to a boy, which made the Lee clan very happy about their relations with us. Your mother wrote to me that his name was Lee Jungshin, and that he looks a lot like his father.”

            “Well the girls who would be born after him would be swooning- Women my age went mad around that Lee Minho. Would he be with mother and Minyoung on the trip to the manor?”

            “Not for now, my dear. He is only a three month babe, still quietly sleeping in his silk- draped crib. Yoona, we shouldn’t stay outside for too long, it will get cold and your mother would not like you getting sick.” He looked at the sky and was surprised that it had gotten darker so quickly, shooing her towards their main chambers.

            “What a pity, Father! There were many things I wanted to share with you about my trip and the handsome lord I came across.” A glow in her eyes appeared as a topic of her interest crossed her mind, and was too excited to even speak about it.

Lord Junho turned around carefully as he heard the words “handsome lord” and crossed his arms in suspicion.

            “And who is this, handsome lord? I would not like any trespasses happening in my province and any lord wandering off without my knowledge.” He spoke seriously, voice rising slightly as if she had broken the law.

            “He’s Lord Changmin of the Shim Clan, Lord Father. Don’t tell me he’s another enemy of ours!” She stood by her sliding door, just waiting for her father to finish speaking to her so that she may change her clothing in time for dinner.

He stopped in his tracks, standing in silence and was deep in his thoughts. “ _We have not spoken to any person of the Shim clan or of any association with them in centuries_ ”. He thought.

            “You should have at least invited him for tea, Yoona. It may seem either rude or discourteous to his family if we had just let him stay at some merchant’s inn like one peasant child when he is a lord of a foreign province. Tell me where he is, and I will make sure we will give him proper treatment here at our manor.” Junho demanded, still disappointed that his daughter had let the lord of the Shim clan travel so freely like that.

            “He was with his entourage of soldiers and horse riders as well, Father. I don’t think we would be able to accommodate nearly a thousand soldiers here when this manor is only accustomed to three hundred people. Besides, I sent our warden to bring most of his people with him to stay at inns and guide them through the province since all of them still seemed eager for more travelling and riding through the woods.”

            “Now, now – We will continue talking about this after you get changed and washed for dinner. Make sure you dress your best tonight, my daughter. We will have an important guest coming in today, and your brother will be informed.” He sternly spoke to his daughter, as even she tensed up and adjusted her posture as she was about to slide her door closed to get changed.

            “Yes, father. I will make sure all your orders will be followed. Be careful with Yoochun-oppa, he has a rather strong judgement against unknown visitors.”

            “I will make sure I will.”

….

            He took another sip of the freshly-poured soju, clanking his marble glass against his own personal advisor who had been heavily drunk for the past hour.

His entourage and he had stopped at a local inn ten miles away from what he presumed to be the manor of the Park family.

Changmin really did not remember how he ended up so far away from home here at the premises of the Park clan, and any more trouble would get him banished from his own and named an outsider to his family name.

Three brothers before him- _all were dead_ from the previous war that had taken their lives mercilessly. Even as a little child, it already was clear that he for sure would be the one who would inherit the vast and great lands that the Shim clan possessed, even if there were a few jealous uncles and aunts who would throw their daughters at him to marry.

Though, he knew there were more things to explore than just the land he was said to earn in his later years, as all those years of exposure to books from far-away lands with radical and life changing ideas have fascinated him to explore what else was found in the great dynasty that was Joseon.

_Revolution_ : that was the exact term all those left-winged scholars from Sungkyunkwan have been talking about, and it bewildered him if he would be able to start anything like that.

            “My Lord, you have a letter from Lord Park Jungho.” His messenger, all covered in dirt and dung, rushed to the modest inn and offered a cleanly folded letter, a complete opposite to his mud-ridden hands.

Changmin snatched the letter immediately, flapping it open quickly and read the letter thoroughly. Among the scribbly characters, the message he obtained was that he was invited for dinner to the palace and for him to stay until he leaves back home.

            “We will be riding to the manor of the Park clan, Lord Eunshin.” He took another whole cup of soju, and prepared himself to travel ten more miles towards the chosen location.

            “But my lord, dinner is to be served at the manor in less than an hour?” Though not entirely sober, Lord Eunshin rubbed his eyes and groggily walked from his seat, still confused on how they would travel once again.

Changmin got on his horse and made sure all his baggage and belongings were with him.

            “The rest of our men will be staying here at the inn. Lord Eunshin and our five main horse riders and soldiers would be staying at the palace with us. Come on – We do not have a lot of time left!” His temper was boiling and was started to get impatient, a glare thrown to all of them and they raced to their horses immediately.

….

            “I’m thankful you were able to accept my invitation for dinner here at our manor, Lord Shim. I apologize that we have given you such a late notice.” Lord Junho spoke seriously to the young lord, taking another sip of his boiling tea from the ceramic teacup.

Changmin shook his head as he laughed, engulfing all the contents of his cup and drinking it all up in one gulp.

            “It is so much of an honour to be invited by you, Lord Park. I am sincerely disappointed of myself for not informing you as soon as possible of my entrance in your lands, and I ask for forgiveness on my foolishness.” He said.

The door slides open and Lord Junho’s eldest son, Park Yoochun appears and notices an unfamiliar guest has entered their premises, and has been in a comfortable stance with his father.

            “I believe you have never met my son, Lord Park Yoochun? He has a twin sister, Park Minyoung who is married to the heir of the Lee clan, Lee Minho.” Lord Junho stands between them to introduce the two to one another, but only seem indifferent to each other instead.

Yoochun stands there, frozen in the moment and looked from above Lord Changmin who was sitting down silently with his teacup in his hands. A polite smile was exchanged for barely a second, and a low bow was made to him.

            “It is an honour to meet you, Lord Shim. You are a handsome fellow, no doubt. I heard you encountered my sister, Lady Yoona. She is quite the spark of fire – Dangerous, lively and adventurous. I’m astonished you were able to ride out before her chasing you.” He makes a great effort to start a conversation, even if he obviously showed no interest whatsoever.

Changmin responded with the same quick, timid grin and presided to bow down to his fellow lord.

            “There is no need to exchange such formal words, Lord Park. I am much flattered by your complements. Your sister is one of a kind, even among the women in Seoul and deserves a great man in her life. I wish the best to all of your family.” Changmin replied, already involved in the conversation and was delighted to have spoken with his new acquaintance.

            “I wish nothing but the best to you and your clan as well, Lord Shim. I believe we would start seeing one another more often. Do not hesitate to send us a letter if you visit us again, even if you may include your family next time.” Yoochun took the porcelain kettle and poured some tea in Changmin’s teacup, before pouring some for his self.

            “ I’ll make sure the Park Manor will always be a place I will never miss out once I go out for my hunting and riding trips. On what terms could we start addressing ourselves as? Yoochun and Changmin?” Changmin smiled, overwhelmed by the sudden friendliness and openness given to him.

Yoochun’s cordial and neighbourly is suddenly turned aloof and distant as he increases his distance from the Shim lord.

            “We can start with Lord Park and Lord Shim.” He replies shortly.

Discouraged by the sudden distance between the two of them, Changmin decides to start eating on some of the snacks that had been offered to him.

The wooden door was swung open excitedly, too quick for what was known as courteous and proper as Yoona ran into the room dressed in her best clothing. Though was alarmed all of them, was how slightly revealing and controversial her clothing were – which may have overwhelmed her conservative father, and her even more conservative brother.

            “I heard you called for me, Father.” Bedazzled in jewelry, rings and an elegant hair piece of a red-orange phoenix, she held a golden fan and waved over herself, clearly disdained by the warm weather.

Yoona had a smirk on her face, the pure passion and fire in her personality shining through and through – the cunning too obvious to be ignored.

….

 

 


End file.
